ARM Cortex-M3 licensed for BLDC motor control ICs

Micronas' BLDC motor control solutions integrate digital and analog components including comparators, diagnosis and protection functions, programmable gain amplifier, ADC, communication interfaces, direct 12V operation regulators, and power bridges. Saving weight, space and cost, this high level of integration enables a very compact and cost-effective motor system design. They can be operated in a sensor-less or a sensored mode in conjunction with the HAL 2xy and HAL 5xy switch or 2D rotational encoder families.

The Cortex-M3 processor features an efficient and deterministic 3-stage pipeline to combine high performance with instruction efficiency; Thumb-2 instruction set, hardware divider, and single-cycle multiplier; best-in-class software development tool chain; and essential microcontroller functionalities including low latency interrupt handling, integrated sleep modes, and debug and trace capabilities.

Dirk Behrens, Vice President, Automotive, Micronas, commented: "The integration of the ARM Cortex-M3 processor into our embedded controllers for smart actuators complements our already established 8051- processor-based solutions and enables us to target new motor driving applications requiring advanced processing capabilities. This paves the way towards a new class of highly versatile and compelling single-chip smart actuator solutions while facilitating software development for our customers."

"The ARM Cortex-M3 offers new levels of intelligence, energy efficiency and control for a new breed of smart industrial and automotive products. We are delighted Micronas has chosen to partner with ARM and look forward to working closely to improve the lives of users from the factory floor to the dashboard," comments Noel Hurley, Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, Processor Division, ARM.